The Gothar
by DancingSpark
Summary: The ill king of Ivalice sends his personal servants, the Turks, to a town in the neighboring country of Midgar where a spring with healing properties is said to be. But the spring is protected by the gothar, the village's spiritual leader and protector. Can the Turks convice him to give the water their king needs without enraging villagers and gods? AU, CloTi Zerith and silly Reno.
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

Hushed whispers filled the corridor of one of the Planet's most powerful kingdoms. Servants darted in and out of the elaborate doors that stood at the end of the long hallway. Light from the candles danced on the intricate designs of the tapestries hanging from the stone walls. Scenes of great battles and beasts were sewn into the fabric; a knight standing atop a mound, sword held high as he released a cry, or a great sea serpent that wrapped itself around a globe. No one took notice of the artwork as they scurried in and out of the great doors.

A man of medium stature strode down the hall, his leather boots padding softly on the cold floor. Despite his quick pace, he managed a slouching posture. His grimy woolen cape streamed slightly behind him, revealing a wand of wood at his hip. His hair flared brilliant crimson and on his face were tattoos equally red. The small slash tattoos ran along his high cheek bones, seemingly like fresh cuts in his skin.

As he reached the end of the hallway, he stopped before another man who stood beside the doors. This man's trousers and tunic were meticulously cleaned and straightened, giving him the air of a perfectionist. While his skin was very pale, his oil black hair was slicked back, revealing eyes just as dark and a small dot in the center of his head. His straight posture brought him a couple inches above the other man. As the redhead approached, the new man's arms crossed in front of his chest. He stared at the other's filthy clothes pointedly and gave a short sigh. The redhead simply gave a smirk.

"The king called. What's this I'm hearing about an illness? Surely His Majesty and that rumor aren't connected?" the red haired man asked, his eyes boring into those of the black haired man.

"They are. King Shinra has developed a sickness in the past two months. Even if you have just returned from spy duty, Reno, you know you must keep yourself up to date on matters involving your king," the black haired man chastised him. "Despite the efforts of our best healers, sorcerers, and other magicians, nothing has worked and the king's health is on the serious decline. We have been searching the lands for other options to get our hands on a cure at Prince Rufus' orders. We've come out empty handed so far, but a special visitor arrived not long ago. She spoke of something that has potential to be a treatment for the king's condition." During the long explanation, the red head fidgeted as he waited for the other man to finish.

"Well, what is it?" asked Reno impatiently, as the man stopped to take a breath.

"We have been ordered to discuss it only in the presence of the king and higher officials. _That _is why you were summoned back here from Wutai. You've kept everyone waiting long enough, although your timing at the moment is impeccable; we were just gathering the others to meet with the king. Rude will arrive any moment, and then we will head into the king's chamber. Speaking of which," – the other man looked Reno over in disdain – "I hope you weren't planning on wearing that filthy piece of cloth in the king's presence."

Reno gave another smirk.

"If you insist, I'll leave it out here, _Boss_," he sneered. The other man's brows lowered slightly. His hand drifted down to his right hip where a danger hung from his belt. His hand wrapped around the hilt and lifted the dagger an inch from the sheath, baring a silver gleam of metal.

"Speak to those ranked higher than you with respect, Reno," the other man murmured in warning, "or else I will give you a lesson you won't soon forget."

Reno's smirk died away, leaving a disgruntled look on his face. He shook off his cape and tossed it into a corner, turning away from the other man. He glanced down the hall to see another man hurrying toward them.

The newcomer was a large man. Included with his great height was his powerful build. His tanned chin was covered in dark stubble, while his scalp was completely devoid of hair. Large muscles filled his leather jerkin and linen sleeves, giving him an imposing presence. A sheathed sword bounced on his left hip. He came to a stop before the other two men. A deep voice rumbled out of his throat. "It appears I'm late. My apologies."

Reno perked up at the bald man's arrival.

"Hey, Rude! Long time no see, eh?"

The black haired man cleared his throat, the sound he gave off obviously fake. It sounded similar to a strangled dog.

"Now that you have your other half here, Reno, we'll enter the meeting," he said shortly before marching to the doors and pushing his way through. Reno and Rude slowly followed his footsteps. Reno leaned over to Rude, whispering behind his hand.

"Tseng is a bit high strung. Is this meeting that important?"

Rude gave his friend a suffering glance.

"The king is dying and this meeting is discussing something that could save him. Of course it's important, you fool."

Reno just shrugged and entered into the king's chambers, Rude only a step behind.

The room was ornate and filled with signs of great wealth. Thick, rich tapestries of much higher quality than those in the hallway hung from all the walls, and numerous animal furs were spread across the floor as well as the sick king's bed. Gold covered everything: the bed posts, the door knob, even the tapestries had gold strands glinting through their tassels. In the center of the room was a large bed. Nurses swarmed around it, but at the sight of the three men who had entered, they all gave a bow as they dismissed themselves from the room. They knew a meeting had been called. As they left, the sick king became visible as well as his son who was seated in a chair next to his bed.

Reno, Rude, and Tseng walked to the foot of the bed and each kneeled with his head bowed. The sick king gave a hoarse cough and his shoulders began to shake. His large wrinkled hands scrunched up the covers as he struggled to breathe. The blond Prince Rufus stood up, doing nothing to comfort his father.

"The king is sick," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Like we didn't already know that," whispered Reno under his breath. Rude jabbed him in the ribs. Rufus' face twisted into a grimacing smirk before he continued.

"We discussed possible healing sources and techniques with all of our doctors. Every single one has been executed and every single one failed. However, one of our guest healers mentioned a very interesting rumor. Supposedly in our neighboring land of Midgar, there is a spring that contains water with powerful healing properties. Because all of our ways of healing have failed, we have decided to use this spring water as a last resort."

"So you're gonna send us east to Midgar to fetch some water? I got it, this is gonna be a piece of cake!" crowed Reno. Rufus smirked again and shook his head.

"It is not that simple. The spring is guarded by a village that many travelers call Nibelheim. According to them, the village has a powerful spirit warrior who guards the spring. Some of the people we have interrogated about the spring have said that it is even protected by the gods."

"Whose gods? Surely not ours," Reno exclaimed. Tseng sighed from the left.

"Of course not, you simpleton. The gods he is referring to are the gods of that region, not our gods of Ivalice. Do you even know anything about Midgar?" The redhead just shook his head, earning another huff of annoyance from his leader. "It seems you're going to have quite an educational trip."

Reno turned back to Rufus. "Seems like you'll have to send more men than just us three to get this done! We can't fight off a whole village for the water!"

"You aren't going to fight of the villagers," Rufus explained. "You are to go there peacefully and politely request the water. Force will not work for us here; it would be a waste of time and money to send our army into rugged mountain terrain. Mount Nibel is infamous for the number of people who slipped and met their demise on its slopes. We need to have the villagers cooperate with us, and to get the best results you must be courteous and respectful. You need to contact the spirit warrior. According to our source, he is called the gothar. Be quick because the time left for the king is short, but remember to tread carefully with these strangers. Our country's wellbeing will feel all the results from your decisions and actions. It is in your best interest to not fail this mission."

Rude broke his silence. "Will we be given provisions and mounts for this trip?" To everyone's surprise, the king spoke up instead of his son.

"We will provide our fastest and most surefooted chocobos," his low tired voice was barely heard by the men. "You will receive enough provisions for both trips up and down the mountain, but it is up to you to make sure the mission is finished before they go bad."

A sudden coughing fit seized the king and he fell forward, coughing into his hands as his face went white. Rufus made a motion to help him as the other three men jumped to their feet in alarm. Before anyone could lay a hand on the king his coughing fit ceased just as abruptly as it had appeared. King Shinra pressed a hand to his chest as he gasped for air. He slowly raised his head to meet the eyes of the three men at the foot of his bed. His dull blue eyes glinted fiercely through hanging strands of blonde hair.

"You are Turks. You will succeed this mission. You _will_ bring back the water and heal me. You have no other choice."


	2. Chapter 2

Four days later, the Turks found themselves at the foot of Mount Nibel. Behind their chocobos stretched their homeland of Ivalice, its green hills rolling endlessly. Reno felt a tug of nervousness in his gut as he looked up into the looming peaks of Mount Nibel. Dark clouds grazed the tallest peaks, hiding them from view. Far off in the distance he could make out lightning strikes even though they were too far away for the thunder to reach his ears. His chocobo shifted underneath him and he tapped its sides with his heels as he urged the large bird to go forward after Tseng and Rude who had already begun to hike up the steep mountain path that winded through the rocky slopes.

Reno's chocobo let out a warbling _wark _as it caught up with Rude and Tseng's. Reno held on for dear life as the bird's forward rush forced him to lean backwards with his feet and stirrups stuck out in front of him, level with the bird's chest. Its lurching steps caused the saddle bags to bounce loudly against its sides and bump Reno as they flailed. The other two Turks did not react to their partner's moment of clumsiness.

The three men continued to venture higher and higher into the mountains. They had managed to get a map and verbal instructions from a small family that lived just a few miles from the base of the mountains. The father of the family had warned them of Nibel wolves and other strange monsters that traversed the rocky slopes. He had also cautioned them about the cliffs and narrow paths that took just as many lives as the monsters. Even though Reno knew he had one of the most surefooted chocobos in Ivalice, he was still nervous as he looked over the side of the path he and the other Turks were currently walking on. One of his chocobo's claws bumped a rock and he gulped as he watched it tumble down the side of the mountain into the foggy chasm far below.

Several hours later, the Turks set up camp under a rocky overhang. They hobbled the chocobos, who were fluffing up their feathers against the cold, and Reno started a fire—after missing the strike flint and stabbing his hand a couple of times. Tseng pulled out a map from his pack. He flipped through it carefully.

"If this map is anywhere close to accurate, we should reach Nibelheim sometime late in the morning." Rude made no noise, but Reno let out a relieved sigh as he flopped onto his back and balanced one leg across his other knee. Just as he was about to comment about the map, a screeching howl echoed off in the distance. The three men shot upright in surprise and grabbed for their weapons. More howls sounded off after the first to create an eerie chorus of voices that reflected off the mountain sides and jumbled cacophonously together. Despite their nervousness, the men knew they were out of danger. The monsters were far off; they sounded several mountains away. For ten minutes, the Turks sat as the voices grew louder and started to sound off closer to their temporary camp. Just as the cries were reaching a shrill peak, an enormous roar exploded from the mountain that neighbored the Turks'. The noises of the other chattering monsters suddenly ceased. In the heavy silence, Reno tried to swallow past his dry throat.

"What the _hell_ was that?" he rasped.

Rude did not answer as he stared toward the mountain the roar had come from. Tseng answered Reno's question. "That was a dragon."

Reno stared at his leader in horror. "A DRAGON?! There's no such thing as dragons!" he cried out.

"They are quite common in this region," answered Tseng. "They are nocturnal and tend to stick to their own mountains. The one we just heard will leave us alone unless it is in need of food that it cannot find on its own mountain side." Reno slumped back onto the ground. As his nervousness started to fade, he gave a short laugh.

"It must have gotten pretty sick of all those other monsters' yappin'! I can't blame it, all that noise was annoying!"

"Then you may want to keep your own yapping down, Reno, or else it will track us down to shut you up as well," Rude said from his spot on the other side of the fire. Reno's jaw dropped as Tseng gave an uncharacteristic snort. Reno snapped his jaw shut and grinned at his partner's clever comment.

"Well, then, I'll see you chaps in the morning!" he laughed before crossing his arms under his head and shutting his eyes. A few minutes later his mouth hung open and he let out a loud snore. Tseng allowed a small frown to crease his features at the thought of sleeping through his subordinate's snoring. He carefully rolled up the long forgotten map and placed it in his pack.

"Rude, you're on first watch," he murmured before he crawled into his sleeping furs and fell asleep.

* * *

Just as Tseng had predicted, the trio were making their way into the small village of Nibelheim later the next morning. The sun had broken through the overcast skies and it shone down onto the village, illuminating all the dew drenched houses while the cool damp wind blew away some of the fog that crept through the streets. Multiple thatched houses circled around a center clearing. Smoke curled from several different chimneys, signaling that the day had already started for many of the locals. As the Turks rode their chocobos through the village, many of the villagers stopped their morning routines to watch the strangers go by.

The Turks pulled their mounts to a stop at a well in the center of the village. As they were dismounting, a small girl ran up to them. Her short brown hair barely reached her shoulders and her straight bangs fell into her brown eyes. She impatiently blew them out of the way as she asked them a question in a foreign language.

Reno glanced at his partners. Neither one looked like he understood what the little girl had asked. He turned back to the girl with a confused smile. "Say that again?" he asked.

She just stared at him as if he had spoken complete gibberish. Her eyes widened knowingly, and she turned around. "Mamma!" she called out to one of the nearby houses. A woman in her mid thirties hurried over, murmuring a question to the little girl in the language Reno did not understand. The similarity between the two females was striking. The little girl whispered back in the woman's ear. The woman stood and walked over to the Turks. She asked a question in the same language but received the same response as the little girl. She tried again.

"Are you looking for the inn?" she asked. Her voice was thick with the strange accent. Reno let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally, someone who can talk!" he laughed. A sharp knock on the back of his head silenced him. Rude glared at the redhead as Tseng stepped forward.

"Yes, we are," he replied. "Would you point us in the right direction?" The woman nodded and pointed to the north of the village.

"Turn left at tanning hides. The inn is two houses down on right." Tseng gave a nod.

"Thank you," he murmured and hopped back onto his chocobo, Rude and Reno doing the same on either side. They headed in the direction the woman had pointed them, passing more staring villagers. As they rode past the hides being tanned, Reno noticed several children playing with the leftover teeth of some type of predator. He gave a slight shudder as they continued on.

The inn was nothing like the elaborate buildings the Turks were used to seeing in the capital of Ivalice. It was a simple two story with stairs leading down to a basement. Over the doorway of the basement hung a sign with runes the newcomers did not understand. The Turks dismounted and tied their chocobos to a tying post that stood by the inn's entrance. They grabbed their bags and climbed the stairs to the front entrance.

Upon entering the inn, they were met with a homey atmosphere. A fire crackled in the fireplace, leaving a warm red hue on the wooden walls covered with furs as it chased away the outside chill. Several unoccupied chairs sat before the fire. Reno walked over and plopped down on one while propping his feet up onto another chair nearby. "Man! Riding chocobos for five days straight takes a lot out of you! Sleeping on that rocky ground sure didn't help either."

Before either of his traveling companions could make a reply, a woman with her hair in a high bun appeared at the foot of some stairs; Tseng assumed they led to the second floor. Her long linen dress brushed against the floor as she walked towards the three men. Her leather shoes barely made a sound as she came to a stop in front of them. She looked like she had seen better years and was starting to show signs of her age: a few wrinkles around her eyes and some gray hairs streaked through her hair. With a slight smile showing from her green eyes, she asked, "Are you all travelers from Ivalice?" Tseng stepped forward.

"Yes, madam," Tseng gave a low bow. "I am Tseng, leader of the Turks of Ivalice. May we stay here? We have business here in Nibelheim." The woman nodded and pointed to a door on the side of the den.

"You may use that room right there," she said. "But how are you going to pay? Ivalice does not use the same currency as Midgar." Tseng reached behind him and untied a small bag from his belt. He gently took the woman's hand and dropped the small bag onto her palm. It gave an audible clink when it landed and when she loosened the drawstrings she caught a glimpse of several gold pieces. She gave a small gasp and closed her hand around the bag. She looked up at Tseng.

"Really sir, this is very kind of you, but I can't take this. It's too much," she whispered past her surprise. Tseng shook his head.

"Please, keep it. We will be staying for a few days and I don't want to be a bother." After a moment the woman gave a small nod.

"Very well. Please make yourselves at home." Rude reached down to pick up his bags where he had set them down earlier and Reno jumped up from his seat by the fire. The redhead grabbed his own traveling pack and darted over to the room where they would be staying. Before he could disappear through the door, the woman spoke up again. "If you need anything, my name is Elmyra. I prepare supper just after sunset, so don't be late. There is a tavern downstairs if you are interested in having a drink." She turned to return to her business.

Tseng stepped forward. "Before you go on with your daily activities, can I ask who is in charge in this village? There is something important we need to discuss with your leader." Elmyra gave him a curious look before answering.

"You want to find the gothar. He is the closest thing we have to a person 'in charge.' He leads us, yes, but he does not hold the type of power your king possesses." Reno dropped his bag as he heard the same word Prince Rufus had mentioned: "gothar." He turned to face Elmyra.

"So I have a question. What exactly does this gothar guy do? He's not in charge, yet he leads this little town. How does that work?" Elmyra smiled at the Turk's curiosity.

"The gothar to us is equivalent to your… what is it you call them?" She tapped her chin with a delicate finger. "Ah, yes. He is equivalent to your priests."

Reno snorted at the mental images. All the priests he had met were arrogant pompous fools who believed their status made it permissible to treat other people as dirt. Just the thought of them made him nearly shake with disgusted hate.

Elmyra continued despite the brief interruption. "However, our gothar is also a skilled warrior who is trained in combat for many years before he takes his official place in the village. He is greatly revered and appreciated by all in the village for he is our connection to the gods. He tells them of our troubles and requests their aid. Our current gothar is quite young for his role, but he does a fine job."

Rude spoke up, "Where can we find him?"

Elmyra answered, "He journeyed to the top of the mountain to speak with the gods a few days ago. He should be returning either later today or tomorrow. Now if you will excuse me, I have work that needs to be finished." With a courteous nod, she turned and started to head back up the stairs. Reno and Rude grabbed their bags and disappeared into the available room.

Tseng entered the bedroom to see Reno rolling out his sleeping bag on one of two beds in the room. Rude had already set up his sleeping place on the ground by the wall and was on his hands and knees straightening out the fur sleeping bag. His feet brushed another wall while his head was only a foot away from a wooden night stand that held a simple animal fat lamp. He was going to have a very cramped night. The absence of light left a murky feeling in the room despite the soft glow coming from the sunlight bouncing off the hide covering the window.

Tseng set down his own belongings on the bed before turning to the two other Turks. He crossed his arms and leaned back on the wall. "We need to get an idea of the layout of the village. Rude, I'm assigning you to investigate the southern half of the village. I will take the northeast section, and Reno, you will take the remaining area here around the inn. Both of you keep your eyes open for the gothar. We need to contact him as soon as possible. Remember, we are short on time." Rude nodded, but Reno simply stood up and stretched before giving a lazy wave of his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Look out for the gothar. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He disappeared through the doorway and a few seconds later his companions heard the sound of the inn door being closed.

Tseng turned to Rude. "He's going straight to the tavern, isn't he?"

Rude simply nodded in reply.

* * *

Reno marched down the stairs to the tavern, arms behind his head as he whistled a small tune. He didn't feel like looking for this gothar guy. Priests were always full of themselves. Once he had seen one of the head priests of Ivalice stuffing himself like a pig at a royal banquet. The man's blubbery form had nearly been spilling out of his ornate robes and his fat wrists and fingers had bunched up against all the gold jewelry he was wearing. Reno gave a snort. All priests were disgusting. So what if the local priest here had combat training? He'd probably forgotten it by now after spending his time scarfing down food and gloating in the praise of the local people.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed open the door. As it swung open, he heard a small bell chime above his head. Looking around the bar, he noted the mostly empty tables and bar. It was a bit early to be having a drink, he realized. Most of the local men were probably working in the fields or hunting or doing whatever it was they did here, while the few people scattered around the tavern were eating an early lunch, it seemed. Behind the bar was a single figure Reno could barely make out. As he fully stepped inside, he realized the person behind the bar was a woman with midnight black hair. A very nicely shaped woman, he noticed despite the fact she wore men's clothing. Her back was turned to him as she dried a mug, but at the sound of the bell above the door she spoke up, asking a question to whoever had entered.

Her voice was low and gentle. She turned to face the person who had entered and surprise crossed her face as she spotted Reno. He tried putting on his most charming smile as he met her eyes; he noticed immediately that they were a rich burgundy color with wine highlights.

"Hey," he started. "I'm new around here. What's your name, gorgeous?" The woman rolled her eyes at his statement.

"A traveler from Ivalice, I see," she sighed as she switched from her native language to Reno's. Her accent was not as prominent as those of the other villagers Reno had met, but it was still quite noticeable. "My name is Tifa. I run the bar here, as I'm sure you've figured out." Reno nodded, not fully listening as he gazed at Tifa. She noticed his wandering gaze and gave a glare that immediately brought his attention back to her face. Once she had his attention again, she spoke up. "What would you like to have? I'm serving biscuits and a small amount of venison for lunch, but if you're here for a drink I will make you one."

Reno grinned. "Anything from you is good enough for me, beautiful! Although, a drink sounds nice right now."

Tifa turned away and grabbed the mug she had been drying. As she went about preparing the drink, Reno sat on the stool nearest to where he had stood. There was only one other person at the bar: a scruffy, older blond man sat at the end of the counter and smoked a pipe with his other hand wrapped around a mug. Just as Reno was sitting down, he felt a looming presence rise behind him. He slowly turned around to see one of the other bar patrons towering over him. The man's dark skin made him difficult to see in the gloom, but despite that, Reno could make out the bulging muscles of his crossed arms. His right forearm seemed strange, and upon closer inspection, the redhead realized the man's arm had been amputated and replaced with a hook. Reno gulped as the large man leaned in close.

"You betta' not give Tifa no trouble, ya punk. We don't appreciate your kind chasing skirts around here, got it?" He did not have the village accent for some reason, but that was the least of Reno's problems at the moment. Reno just gave a shaky grin and nodded.

"Crystal clear, sir!" he peeped. The scruffy man at the corner snorted. Just then, Tifa reappeared. She smiled at the sight of the large man towering over Reno as he shrank against the bar. She leaned over the bar top and gently placed a hand on the dark man's left arm – which had a tattoo of a flaming skull on the bicep, Reno noticed – and looked him in the eye.

"It's okay, Barret," she said sweetly. "I can handle him." The large man's intimidating aura died off some as he relaxed and smiled at Tifa.

"Awright, Teef. I trust ya. Just let me know if he's causin' ya any trouble." As Barret lumbered away, Tifa pushed Reno's drink across the counter to him. He grabbed the mug and took a couple of long sips before setting it down with a sigh and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "So," he started off.

Tifa had gone back to cleaning the dishes in a tub of warm water behind the bar. "So," she copied him without turning around. Reno grinned.

"So, you see, beautif—" Reno glanced towards Barret. The large man was glaring at him from his table with a few other patrons. Reno cleared his throat and started again. "You see, Tifa, I'm here on an assignment from the king of Ivalice." The brunette didn't even bat an eye.

Reno continued, "I was sent here to talk to your… priest? Top warrior? Warrior priest guy? What's he called… the… gopher?" Tifa sent him an exasperated look.

"You mean the gothar?"

Reno snapped his fingers. "Right! That guy! Well, as I was saying, I need to find him. Know where he is?"

"He's due to be back today from the mountain's summit," murmured Tifa, as she looked up and slowly stopped washing the dishes. Her eyes gained a slightly distant look. "He said he would be back today," she whispered under her breath. "I hope nothing has happened."

"Maybe he got gobbled up by a dragon," said Reno with a careless wave of his hand. "Most fat priests are choice morsels for monsters like those. And I bet the dragons consider all that gold jewelry of his a bonus—"

He stuttered to a stop when Tifa slammed her hands on the wooden counter in front of him. The loud bang alerted the other people in the bar and they raised their heads to find the source of the commotion. Reno leaned back in surprise as Tifa leaned forward in anger. Her blazing eyes stared straight into Reno's.

"As far as I know, you have never met our gothar. I would advise you to keep that mouth of yours shut before it gets you in trouble. We greatly respect our gothar and he has done so much for us. Without him, the village would have been greatly harmed many different times! You know nothing!" She slammed her palm against the table again. The silence in the bar pressed against everyone until the tavern entrance bell chimed again. Everyone turned to see who was entering.

The first thing Reno noticed about him was his hair. A striking bright yellow and gold, it stood out in odd, spiked tufts from his scalp with bangs partially obscuring his forehead. A particularly long lock on the right side was braided and brushed against his collarbone. The newcomer was a little on the small side, but he had plenty of muscle – albeit not nearly as much mass as Barret— enough to present him as powerful. His pale skin and light hair stood out in great contrast to his dark clothing. The pelt of a small black wolf hung around his shoulders like a scarf, with the head of the wolf covering the man's left shoulder like a pauldron. A silver wolf head badge held in place a strap across his broad chest. Black baggy leggings were tucked into compact leather boots that quietly thudded against the wood floor with each step. A large drape covered his hips and left leg. At his right hip hung a gilded horn and on his left hip was a large knife with a sheath engraved with knot work, held up by a belt with silver buckle. On his upper right arm, a silver bracelet shaped like a snake wound itself once around his arm – it vaguely reminded Reno of the serpent on the tapestries of the castle halls in Ivalice. The man's right forearm was covered in a strip of dark fur or cloth; Reno could not tell which. The man's right hand rested on the intricate hilt of a massive sword that hung from a harness on his back.

The quality of the sword was impressive. On the one foot width of its gleaming five foot blade as well as the interestingly hollow and square guard was an intriguing design. The center of the blade was made of a darker steel the color of thunder clouds which ran along the length all the way to the tip. Ivy-like lines ran down the entire length of dark metal. What appeared to be four smaller blades made of light steel merged on either side of the dark area of the sword. The smaller blades reached less than halfway from the guard and, like the dark metal, were decorated with knot work. The pommel was a circle with more delicate interwoven designs floating in the center. The metal seemed to glow in the gloom, hinting at an inhuman craft.

_I wonder if he actually uses that in battle_, thought Reno. It looked much too heavy and ceremonial to be used in a real fight. _And all that silver and fur… He must be one of those arrogant, rich boys that break all the ladies' hearts._ He huffed angrily at the thought.

When Reno looked away from the mammoth sword, he found himself being stared down by the man's eyes. They chilled Reno to his bones. The blue irises glowed even more brightly in the dark than the mysterious sword. Green rings circled each pupil and seemed to pulse as if in time with the man's heartbeat.

The man did not break eye contact with Reno as he slowly made his way across the room. He walked up to the bar and the scruffy man grinned past the pipe clenched in his teeth, giving him a hearty slap on the shoulder. "What took ya so long, boy?" the pipe smoker barked. Like Barret, he also lacked the village accent. The blonde swordsman broke his gaze with Reno to look at the other man. A hint of a smile almost cracked on his face.

"I got caught in a blizzard that suddenly sprung up in a bad spot." His voice was low and quiet, with the lower tones sounding a little rough. He had the accent Reno was starting to associate with the village, but it was incredibly subdued. The man with the pipe just shook his head.

"Ain't ever stopped you before!"

The swordsman turned away from him and started to head towards Reno's end of the bar. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Whatever you say, Cid." He walked past Reno with an air of calm authority and then came to a stop to lean over the bar towards Tifa. She turned to face him and he held out a large rough hand towards her. "Tifa?" he asked softly. She smiled and gently placed her hand in his. His large fingers closed around her smaller hand.

Looking into his eyes, she said, "I'm fine. Thank you for checking in, I've missed you." The swordsman's eyes seemed to shine a little more brightly and the skin at the corners crinkled slightly. In return, the dark haired woman asked, "And what about you?" The man only gave a small 'hmm' in reply, but apparently it was enough for Tifa as she smiled again and nodded.

Watching the small interaction next to him, Reno felt a small pang of jealousy in his gut. He was oblivious to the obvious affection that the two shared when he sneered, "I bet you get all the ladies."

The swordsman gently let go of Tifa's hand and straightened up to his full height. He turned towards Reno, his blue eyes piercing.

"What do you mean by that?" he rumbled. His voice was void of any emotion. Reno glared back in defiance.

"I know what kind of person you are. How many hearts have you broken so far? I bet you lost count! You better keep those paws off of pretty Miss Tifa, she'll make you run off with your tail between your legs!" Throughout the short tirade, the blonde swordsman did not display any emotion except a faint amusement.

"I am quite aware of what Tifa is capable of," he murmured. Tifa just sighed and pressed a hand on her forehead as she leaned against the bar.

Barret had walked over during the commotion and stood next to Cid. He leaned over. "That red haired dog has no idea what he's gettin' 'imself into, does he?" the large man whispered. Cid just shook his head with a chuckle.

Reno glared at the two men before turning his attention back to the swordsman who now stood with his arms crossed. The redhead reached for his wooden wand and was about to start snapping again when the doorbell chimed for a third time. Tseng glided into the tavern with the woman from earlier, Elmyra, right behind him. She pointed out the blonde swordsman to Tseng.

"That is who you're looking for," she said. Tseng thanked her and made his way through the tables as Elmyra walked back to the main floor of the inn. The black haired man took in the sight of his subordinate glaring at a swordsman, the bartender sighing, and two rough men exchanging words as they glanced at the scene next to them.

"Hey, Boss," said Reno as Tseng walked up. The redhead had not looked away from the blonde man staring him down, and his voice was subdued.

"I hope you have not been causing trouble, Reno," said Tseng lowly. He faced the blonde man. "I apologize for my subordinate's rude behavior. It's an absolute honor to meet you." Tseng gave a faint bow.

Reno stared at his leader in shock. "You know this guy?"

Tseng glanced at Reno. "This is the man we came to see."

He looked the blonde man straight in the eye. "This is the gothar."

* * *

**A/N: I honestly never thought I'd enjoy writing Reno as much as I do. He's not as much of a pain in the ass as I thought he'd be.**

**Since I forgot to put this on the first chapter, I'll just go ahead and write this here. This story is supposed to be based off of Nordic and other mythologies mixed into the Final Fantasy games. I'm attempting to make it sound like something that would have happened long in the past to Nordic tribes, albeit faintly. I hope you enjoy the story!**

**I also apologize for this chapter taking so long to be published. It's been sitting finished on my computer for months, and I'd completely forgotten to update since I was focusing on Of Life and Survival (I'd appreciate it if you'd check out that story too. I'll warn you though, I think the first few chapters are slow going, but it picks up steam.)**


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